A whirlpool bath is a jetted bathtub fitted with a system that circulates bath water to produce a hydro massage effect. Conventional whirlpool bath systems (piped systems), which have been on the market for over 30 years, circulate the water through a piping harness by means of a pump powered by an electric motor. Pipeless whirlpool bath systems, such as those recently developed by Sanijet Corporation, circulate the water using a series of unitized jet/suction devices each powered by a separate electric motor and operated by a single command pad through a set of electronic controls. Patents related to pipeless systems are U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,587,023, 5,414,878, and 4,853,987.
The system of an air bubbler tub consists of an air blower powered by an electric motor that forces air through hidden channels and/or false bottoms of the bathtub and then through holes into the bath water. Air bubbler systems do not circulate bath water, but create turbulence through injection of air into the bathwater.
All or substantially all components of conventional piped systems and air bubbler systems are hidden from view behind the bathtub and are not accessible for service from inside the bathtub through the sidewall or deck; without the present invention, access must be provided through an external or remote panel or removable tub skirt or enclosure. With a pipeless system, one can service the motors and jets through openings in the bathtub's sidewall into which the jets are installed without any other means of access; however, without the present invention, access to the electronic controls and components of the electrical wiring behind the bathtub requires an external or remote panel or removable tub skirt or enclosure.
Providing service access to whirlpool and air tub systems through an external or remote panel or removable tub skirt or enclosure is separate from the process of manufacturing the bathtub itself, is a matter of installation of the bathtub and is job site specific.
Thus, the present invention fulfills a need in the art by providing methods and compositions that overcome deficiencies in the art of whirlpool and air tub system service and maintenance.